Movie Reviews

Wartime romance with Victor Mature and Li Li Hua

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 05/29/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"CHINA DOLL is a finely-pitched wartime drama. Victor Mature plays Capt. Cliff Brandon, a disillusioned airman fighting against the Japanese. One morning he wakes up to discover he has purchased the services of a beautiful Chinese housekeeper, Shu-Jen (played by the celebrated Asian actress Li Li Hua in one of her rare American film appearances).

This is one of the better films produced by Frank Borzage around this period. Just like the similarly-themed "Sayonara" and "The World of Suzie Wong", CHINA DOLL explores the problems and prejudices involved in a cross-cultural relationship.

Victor Mature is fine playing Captain Brandon; but it's Li Li Hua who really owns this picture. She only made a handful of movies in America, but here she is truly magnificent. The cast also includes Ward Bond, Bob Mathias, Johnny Desmond and Elaine Devry.

It's great to see CHINA DOLL finally on DVD. The disc offers no extras but the anamorphic transfer looks a treat. (Single-sided, single-layer disc)."

"This movie [now a DVD] was made in 1958 and it covers the pilots who flew over the Himalayan mountains from Burma-Tibet-China...this movie lacks genuine art/direction for the various tableaus look so flimsy throughout the entire film...every GI was spit-shined and plenty of booze for all hands [is there a war going on??]...Victor Mature is almost in every scene as a hard-bitten Commanding Officer but shows hardly any emotion even when annoyed...the cast around him is second string all the way except for Ward Bond...and as for singer Johnny Desmond, he is totally forgettable in the role of a pilot...on the bright side the Chinese actress LiLi Hua is perfect in her virginal/traditional role and very easy on the eyes, too...the story/line is good with a tearful ending for the only survivor to arrive in the USA...I think it is over/priced for the final product...this here movie could have been Vic Mature's sayonara to his long and wonderful film career......SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF"

Wonderful Movie

JMN | Canberra, Australia | 02/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have not seen this movie since I was a young teenager and have been looking for it for so long. I was so excited when I found it on Amazon, I bought it straight away. On recieving, I cleared my afternoon, took the phone of the hook so not to be disurbed, sat down and enjoyed every minute of it. It's not Academy Award stuff, just a lovely romantic romp,something to get lost in for an hour and a half. Victor Mature may not have been one of the greatest actors, but I do enjoy anything he's in, there is just something about him and I thank god he graced the silver screen with his presence. Do yourself a favour, and just enjoy."